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Renzolla, who felt very uncomfortable in her mind at this request, hurried off once more to the fairy. This time she found an old man at the door of the fairy's palace, who said to her: 'Who are you, and what do you want? When Renzolla heard his question she answered angrily: 'Don't you know me, old Goat-beard? And how dare you address me in such a way?

The goat-beard sits motionless as before and keeps his eyes fixed on the fire. . . . "Ye that love not Zion . . . shall be put to shame by the Lord."

Here, mingled together, may be seen soldiers of the Swiss guard, with their shining helmets, long halberds, and party-colored uniforms, designed by Michel Angelo, chamberlains of the Pope, all in black, with their high ruffs, Spanish cloaks, silken stockings, and golden chains, contadini from the mountains, in their dully brilliant costumes and white tovaglie, common laborers from the Campagna, with their black mops of tangled hair, forestieri of every nation, Englishmen, with long, light, pendant whiskers, and an eye-glass stuck in one eye, Germans, with spectacles, frogged coats, and long, straight hair put behind their ears and cut square in the neck, then Americans, in high-heeled patent-leather boots, a black dress-coat, and a black satin waistcoat, and wasp-waisted French officers, with baggy trousers, a goat-beard, and a pretentious swagger.

A small camp-fire is lazily burning down between them, throwing a red glow on their faces. There is perfect stillness. The only sounds are the scrape of the knife on the wood and the crackling of damp sticks in the fire. "Don't you go to sleep, Syoma . . ." says the young man. "I . . . I am not asleep . . ." stammers the goat-beard.

Old Taddeus, who sold Miletan wool and Tarentan linen, and to whom Thais owed a large sum of money, alone remained calm and silent in the midst of the uproar. He listened and watched, and gently stroking his goat-beard, seemed thoughtful. At last he approached young Cerons, and pulling him by the sleeve, whispered

He was thoroughly puzzled at their apparent indifference to its seriousness. He was unused to this arbitrament of the rifle, and the odds against them seemed heavy. Old Hicks easily comprehended the expression upon his face, and solemnly stroked his goat-beard. "Ain't used ter that sort o' thing, hey?" he asked at last, his obstinate old eyes contracting into mere slits.

You can't say anything properly . . . when you speak you seem frightened. I dare say you are fifty, but you have less sense than a child. Aren't you sorry that you are a simpleton?" "I am sorry," the goat-beard answers gloomily. "And we are sorry to see your foolishness, you may be sure. You are a good-natured, sober peasant, and the only trouble is that you have no sense in your head.

"This is the thief accusing the constable. I a goat-beard indeed! You are a goat-beard and a half, and you merit it and worse for your presumption. Wait awhile, you impudent woman; I'll enlighten you and you will see to what your airs and impertinence have brought you!"

As the scant train crawled off again into a deep, ice-hung defile, it passed the silent figure of a man in butternut homespun, spattered with dry mud, standing close beside the track on a heap of cross-tie cinders and fire-bent railroad iron, a gray goat-beard under his chin, and a quilted homespun hat on his head.

Two waggons ahead of them there walked a man wearing a long reddish-brown coat, a cap and high boots with sagging bootlegs and carrying a whip in his hand. This was not an old man, only about forty. When he looked round Yegorushka saw a long red face with a scanty goat-beard and a spongy looking swelling under his right eye.